U.

UNION MEMBERSHIP

Q. Does the Act cover being a trade union member?

A. No, the prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Act do not cover being a member of a trade union.

From time to time proposals have been made to include trade union activity as a prohibited ground of discrimination but they have not made it into the Act. There is case law in New Zealand suggesting that if there's a clear connection between the government and its policies and the activity being undertaken by the union or its members, the activity amounts to expression of a political opinion. Discrimination on the grounds of political opinion is prohibited by the Act.